PPD just formed a partnership with Frenova Renal Research, which is giving PPD access to its vast network of nephrology experts and patients.
Through the deal, Frenova, a kidney disease-focused contract clinical development services provider, will offer PPD its global network of more than 1,000 specialists in the field. The company also has access to more than 183,00 active end-stage renal disease patients and 390,000 chronic kidney disease ones, which account for about two-thirds of U.S. nephrology patients, according to the company.
Such a wide outreach “will enable PPD to continue to build on its already strong presence in nephrology trials,” said Ulrich Zoeller, VP of project management of PPD’s general medicine, in a statement.
Over the past five years, PPD has conducted or supported more than 70 clinical studies in nephrology and urology, involving more than 14,000 patients at approximately 2,000 sites, Zoeller told FierceCRO.
Besides Frenova’s intellectual forces in renal research and care, PPD will also be able to offer its clients access to F1RST Up, Frenova’s alliance of research sites designed to streamline clinical studies with faster site buildup and patient recruitment.
Fifteen of Frenova’s all 260 active sites in the U.S. use the proprietary system, and the company said they all have strong track records of patient recruitment and retention.
Frenova is part of Fresenius Medical Care, a world leading provider of renal care products and services with more than 2,200 dialysis facilities in the U.S. and more than 3,400 globally. The mother company, through its own ecosystem, has gathered and analyzed immense numbers of patient data, including data on more than 250 million dialysis treatments, more than 1 billion medication administrations and more than 1 billion laboratory results, it said.
The collaboration is a win-win for both companies. It will further strengthen PPD’s “industry-leading global site and patient capabilities by helping to deliver seamless access to patients, sites and data sources,” according to Zoeller; while for Frenova, it “expands the reach of our nephrology experts and broadens the impact of our invaluable treatment data in clinical trials,” said its General Manager Kurt Mussina in a statement.
In September 2014, Frenova also signed a deal with another CRO giant Covance, which saw Frenova provide extensive kidney diseases patient data, allowing Covance to better understand treatment patterns and help its clients tailor their trial designs and R&D efforts to address unmet needs.